Uber, tutoring & summer school: Austin area teachers use summer break to earn extra income

In the last months of the school year — as standardized tests loom and exhaustion plagues students and school staff — teachers look forward to a summer break from long working days.

For Teresa Valdez, a bilingual teacher at Perez Elementary School in Austin, the summer brings an opportunity to step up the odd jobs and side hustles that she keeps going during the school year.

Standing in her driveway on a steamy summer morning, she wipes down a car seat as part of one of her several side jobs.

“Financially, things are challenging,” said Valdez, a single mother of two. “I have a lot of debt racked up from times without maternity pay.”

Central Texas teachers — like those across Texas — are more and more likely to work a second job to make ends meet and supplement an income many say is just too low compared with the increasing costs of living in the Austin area.

For many teachers, needing a second job causes them stress and stands in the way of family obligations.

About 52% of Texas teachers reported working at least one additional job, and 79% of those teachers — 41% of total teachers — reported they held that job out of financial necessity, according to a February report from the Charles Butt Foundation, an education research nonprofit.

Average starting teacher pay in Central Texas is $55,298, and average pay for a 15-year veteran teacher is $61,744, according to an American-Statesman analysis of Austin area districts' salary data.

The average price for a home in the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area last year was $625,553, according to the Texas A&M University Texas Real Estate Research Center.

'A few extra bucks'

Even with many districts adopting deficit budgets to give their employees raises, it’s still hard to meet all of a family’s needs on a teacher salary, said William Leo, an Austin middle school band director.

Leo drives for ride hailing service Uber before and after work during the school year. In the summertime, he increases that work.

“I can get a few extra bucks here and there,” Leo said. “They add up, and it helps supplement the teacher income.”

Leo started driving when his oldest child turned 3 or 4 years old to help pay for the day care costs, he said.

“As he got older and he got out of day care, I slowed it down a bit, and then, we, two years ago, had another one,” Leo said. “We find ourselves with day care expenses again.”

During the summer, he can bring in $500 to $700 a week from Uber rides, much more than during the school year, he said.

Other teachers turn to tutoring or summer school to supplement their income.

Round Rock first grade dual language teacher Rachel Montemayor has taught dual language pre-K during the summer for years, a tradition she began when she lived within the expensive Austin city limits, she said. Now, she lives in Leander.

“If it wasn't for the bilingual stipend or the opportunity to teach summer school, then it wouldn't be feasible to stay in the Austin area,” Montemayor said, referring to a common school district practice of paying bilingual educators a stipend on top of their base salary.

Attempts at financial relief

All Central Texas districts this summer increased salaries for their educators. Many administrators feared a repeat of the crippling teaching vacancies districts faced in the 2022-23 school year and are hopeful higher pay will help recruit and keep employees.

During the regular legislative session in spring, Texas lawmakers advanced bills that would have directed districts to give teachers raises of up to $6,000. The bills died in the last few weeks of the session as lawmakers fought over other programs, such as so-called school choice programs.

More: Teachers: Frustrated by Texas legislative priorities, lack of funding

During an anticipated special session this fall, many education advocates expect lawmakers to give similar bills to increase school funding and teacher pay another shot.

Balancing family

Working a second job on top of the demands of teaching can add to educators’ stress.

Before she had her own children, Valdez saw her teaching job as a way to help kids. But now, teaching seems to take away time and resources from her own children.

“It’s not like I’m dreaming of these extravagant things: a puppy and a trip to the beach,” Valdez said.

She’s grateful for the recent raises the Austin school has approved, but she’s not sure how much she’ll notice the difference right away.

“I am so far behind on bills,” Valdez said.

For Leo, it’s already difficult to balance the extra practice sessions, concerts and competition travel required of a band teacher with family time.

Driving for Uber takes more time away from his children and finding a balance is tough. But Leo loves working with children.

“I love teaching the future generation,” Leo said. “I really believe you have to invest in the future. I hope I can shape and mold them to be, first and foremost, good humans. It’s a calling.”

Montemayor loves her work, as well.

“I get to be with students that are English learners and are often new to this country or their parents are new to this country,” Montemayor said. “I get to show them the American experience.”

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Teacher pay: Austin area educators take summer jobs to make ends meet